ROYAL TRAINS
Luxury Rail Nostalgia
Built to standards expected by European Royalty in the 1930s, the Romanian Royal Train managed to survive the 2nd World War and the rigours of Communism and is now an important part of our European heritage. The train is available for groups of 36 who wish to take private luxury rail tours from the Romanian capital of Bucharest to Transylvania and other destinations in Romania.
In 1928 the Italian engineering company Ernesto Breda of Milan constructed a very special train for the Government of the Kingdom of Romania - The Romanian Royal Train. It had been ordered in 1927, and was supposed to be used by Romanian King Ferdinand I, but on his death during that year, the new Royal Train passed to King Carol II. The Ernesto Breda Company constructed five luxury carriages and a sleeping car. They used mahogany, walnut, cherry, rosewood for the veneer of the tables, chairs, and doors.
The Royal Train at BaneasaThe wall lamps were made of the highest quality hand-made Murano glass and Bohemian crystal, as were the Venetian-style mirrors. Chair coverings were fashioned from the finest Spanish Cordoba leather, and the interiors were decorated with Greek alabaster. The royal bedroom suite was designed to accommodate five people with a fully equipped bathroom. In addition, there was to be single-berth accommodation for 6, and double-berth accommodation for 16. Finally, everyone was to dine in a superb dining-car with a long dining table for 22, and a private dining-salon for a further 8 passengers. The train was delivered to Romania in 1928, and a private train station was constructed in 1935 for the Royal Family at Baneasa, Bucharest.
The Royal Dining-CarThe Royal Train witnessed epoch-making events in Romania. This is the train on which Carol II and his lover Elena Lupescu went into exile to Spain. In January 1948, on his departure abroad, King Mihai I ate his last lunch in Romania at the table in the royal drawing room. Nearly 20 years later, in the same Royal drawing room, the communist Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu had breakfast in August 1975 with then US president Gerald Ford and his secretary of state Henry Kissinger. The Royal Train was used by Nicolae Ceausescu to entertain senior Communist Leaders as they travelled to the Romanian hunting grounds. These guests included Russian Presidents Nikita Kruschev and Leonid Brezhnev. The Royal Train was finally replaced by a newer Presidential Train in 1978.
Stylish AccommodationHowever, since then, the Romanian Royal Train has been beautifully preserved, and has occasionally been used for special tourist-related events. Now, the Transylvania Express Organisation have an exclusive arrangement to operate the Romanian Royal Train for tours within Romania. These are scheduled services for individual travellers, or charters for special group events.
The mountain resort of Sinaia was largely developed by the Romanian Royal family, who sought a cool summer retreat away from their capital city, Bucharest. In 1875 Romanian King Carol I built Peles Castle as a Royal palace in Sinaia. Constructed in the German Renaissance style, it was the first castle in Europe to have central heating and electricity. So began an important route for the Romanian Royal Train.
Sinaia has an important railway history. The first station was built by the Demeter Cartner company in 1913. Twenty six years later, a second private Royal Station was constructed for exclusive use by the Romanian Royal Family and their guests, who included foreign heads of state. Romanian architect Duiliu Marcu designed the building to accommodate the entire length of the Royal Train.
Sinaia StationThe arriving dignitaries made their way from the train into the central hall of the Royal Station. Here they passed a life-size mural painting of a 14th century hunting scene with eight noble characters, including Basarab Voievod, riding horses in pursuit of wild boar. The Royal party were then greeted in the large square outside the station as they made their way to Peles Royal Palace and the hunting grounds.
Peles CastleIn 1933, the Romanian Prime Minister, I G Duca, was mysteriously summoned from Bucharest to Sinaia to see King Carol II. He caught the first train, but was unaware that some assassins were travelling in the next carriage. At about 8:30pm, on conclusion of his meeting with the King, Duca was informed that his return train had been delayed for an hour. When the train finally arrived at 9:30pm, the Prime Minister made his way to the official carriage. Suddenly a firecracker exploded on the platform ahead of him, and Iron Guard activist Niki Constantinescu tapped Duca on the shoulder. He fired five bullets into the back of Duca's head. The Prime Minister died instantly. Constantinescu immediately raised his hands and was arrested. Today, you will find a commemorative plaque on the platform of Sinaia station which commemorates this event.
Today, Sinaia is the first stop for most of our Royal Train tours from Bucharest, and soon we are planning to use the original Royal Station on arrival.
Created from a variety of nostalgic carriages, the Royal Hungarian Express provides accommodation for our larger tours to Transylvania from the Hungarian capital of Budapest. The carriages are a collection of various styles which evokes the ambience of the 1930s. Some of the carriages been used by Hungarian Heads of State since before the 2nd World War.
The Royal Hungarian Express begins its journey to Transylvania from Budapest. Either from the Keleti Station or Nyugati Station - which was designed by Gustav Eiffel. At Nyugati guests will assemble in the station's Royal Lounge, which was designed specifically for Emperor and King Franz Joseph and his wife, Queen Elizabeth.
The 1916 Piano-BarOnce on board, passengers can enjoy the comfort of elegant wood panelled double-berth compartments equipped with a private washbasin. There are also several Suites used by European Royalty and Presidents which contain a double-bed and en-suite shower-room. The exquisite Wagon-Lits piano-bar was constructed in 1916 at the St Denis workshops outside Paris and still provides on-train entertainment for our tours. Many carriages are decorated with marquetry panelling, velvet plush and velour. There is rich carpeting everywhere.
The steam-hauled 1938 Bulgarian Royal Train - or Corona Express - consists of coaches specially built in Germany for Tsar Boris III, Tsaritsa Ioanna and Prince Kiril. The train provides a salon-coach, a kitchen-car, a dining-car, and even a wagon for transporting cars. The authentic pre-World War II furniture has been restored to its original specification, and offers the maximum travelling comfort for our guests.
We operate the Bulgarian Royal Train as part of our Grand Royal Tour of Romania. See the 2008 Tours page. The northern part of Bulgaria was once part of Romania, and Queen Marie created a seaside palace at Balcic, in what is now Bulgaria. We run the Bulgarian Royal Train from Ruse to Varna and back during which we visit Balcic, and also the Bulgarian Royal Palace at Evksinograd with its extensive vineyards.
The Bulgarian Corona Express
